This time, it’s Savannah’s turn in the spotlight. Find out what she has to say about her favourite Tomb Raider game and how the Tomb Raider series has helped shape her life.

So, tell us a little about yourself.

Hi! I’m Savannah, I’m 19 and currently reside in England. I aspire to be a professional freelance wildlife and marine photographer and an animal care assistant. Besides photography, I am also enthusiastic about gaming and would love to work for my favourite videogames retailer.

When and how did you learn about the Tomb Raider series?

My mum bought a PlayStation One and a bunch of games back in the late 90s. I was born in ’95, a year before TR’s release so I was very young when the first five installments of the series arrived but I was curious nonetheless. I didn’t play them through properly until I was around 6 or 7. I managed to play through them all before AoD dropped into the stores. So it’s all thanks to my mum for introducing me to the series!

Do you run a Tomb Raider fansite or blog? If so, what would you say was your biggest achievement to date?

Not so much a fansite, but I have a blog on Tumblr – chirugais.tumblr.com – that’s completely dedicated to the franchise. I am inactive on it for the time being due to building up my own photography website and starting my gaming YouTube channel (with review vlogs eventually), which I’ll be kicking off with TR2013 soon. I would love to eventually have a series of every Tomb Raider game on there, including the spin-offs.

How has Tomb Raider changed your life?

Quite a bit! She and the series overall have taught me that if I’m passionate about something and I want to do it, I can do it. The series itself sparked my passion for gaming as well so that’s something I’m grateful for.

Were you interested in archaeology before discovering Tomb Raider? Have the Tomb Raider games and films inspired you to learn more about ancient history?

Not particularly. I have been interested in working with animals for a long time so archaeology was never something I was interested in, even after all these years of playing the games. It’s a topic that is really fascinating, mind, and sometime in the future I’d love to delve into some archaeological sites and understand more of the life and profession of an archaeologist.

What are your thoughts on Lara’s image? Is she simply the product of a sexist gaming industry or can she be seen as a positive role model?

There shouldn’t be any kind of label on her in terms of sexuality and how she is portrayed. In-game, she’s witty and got a drive for adventure and tombs. She’s not going to sit and think whether her bum looks good in this or how well her cleavage shows. She just doesn’t care.

What’s your favourite Tomb Raider game?

Angel of Darkness for sure. I was asked not long ago why it was my favourite and I’m still working out how to answer it. I just loved the direction Core were going to go with this planned trilogy adventure. The story, gameplay, music. Everything was perfect and the Core team were going the right way with the game.

And your least favourite game?

I would have to say Anniversary. While I admire the team at Crystal for creating something that stuck true to the core style of Tomb Raider, in terms of tombs and the puzzle-solving, while keeping up with modern graphics, I just feel there was something missing from that game. When I first played it, I didn’t feel a single ounce of nostalgia – with the exception of the music and chimes throughout – and the controls took a step back for me. Though it’s wonderful the original got a remake, the game itself didn’t click with me, I’m afraid to say.

Classic, Legend-Anniversary-Underworld or Reboot Lara?

Classic all the way. It’s where the series started, the base of the franchise and the reason why we’re still playing them today. Go Core Design!

Do you have any favourite Tomb Raider moments or quotes?

The opening and ending of Angel of Darkness. The way the game ended, with Lara walking into the darkness holding the Chirugai. That moment there was the closure we got from the Classic era ending. *sniff*

The radio tower climb in the recent reboot was stunning to experience. One of my favourite moments in the entire game.

What about least favourite moments? Is there anything you dislike about the games/films/comics?

The QTEs and boss fights in Anniversary. They just weren’t challenging enough for a Tomb Raider game. They were, simply put, really plain, old boring. They had a lot of potential there.

If you could change one thing about the Tomb Raider franchise, what would you change?

Bring back Angel of Darkness and add in all the content Core originally wanted to include. Plus complete the trilogy that deserved to be released.

And bring back the snowmobiles!!

Which places would you like to see Lara explore in future games?

I would love for her to visit Venice again!

Finally, if you could join Lara on one of her adventures, where would you go?

Egypt! Never been myself and there’s plenty of ancient history there that is just yearning to be unravelled. To be able to do it with our beloved Miss Croft, it’d be but an honour!

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Kelly McGuire is a translator, editor, writer, and gamer with a passion for archaeology, languages, cultural heritage, and wildlife conservation. She tweets under the username @TRHorizons and is the admin and chief content creator for Tomb Raider Horizons.

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